ARC Trooper Commander - TVC - Basic (VC54)

Hasbro has been rather inconsistent with their responses when questioned about making basic figures based from the Tartakovsky Clone Wars micro-series. In 2008, they were quoted saying that the second wave of The Legacy Collection was the perfect way to say goodbye to the Clone Wars and that they were directed to not pursue any characters since the brand new multimedia event The Clone Wars was going to be pushed to the forefront. Despite this, a few additional characters ended up leaking out after this. L8-L9 (Build A Droid) and K’Kruhk (BD57) from the Legacy Collection are two great examples of this (although K’Kruhk can be sourced to many other Expanded Universe sources). If you read Jedi Temple Archives and our Research Droids Reviews with any regularity at all, you know how disheartened we were by Lucasfilm Ltd.’s request to have Captain Fordo’s name changed as the generic ARC Trooper Commander. We still don’t understand why Lucas and company do not want the Tartakovsky series acknowledged. We really don’t think the masses will get confused like they are stating. But still, to get Captain Fordo years after this claim is a real treat for us and we suppose that if keeping his name as such would prevent the figure’s release, we will happily accept his as ARC Trooper Commander and call him Captain Fordo on our own. For your information, Hasbro sneakily footnoted on the posterior of this figure’s card back that this particular ARC Trooper Commander is inspired from Captain Fordo. So that warms us up a bit more and we are thankful they gave credit where credit was due. Simply put, ARC Trooper Commander (who we will denote as Captain Fordo from here on out), is one of the greatest figures Hasbro has produced. It’s a phenomenal work of art and even though Captain Fordo isn’t 100% accurate when you assemble him in his phase I armor, he is however [almost] perfection as a phase II clone trooper.

It’s important to note that we received Captain Fordo multiple times before this (and collectors may disagree with us that some of these figures were intended to be Fordo). His first availability was the figure pictured on card back. The 2003 CW ARC Trooper ('03 #43) was briefly released in red and gave us our very first Captain Fordo. Captain Fordo was almost made super-articulated (and was actually named Fordo on the packaging) in 2006’s TSC The Hunt For Grievous Toys R Us exclusive Battle Packs set. That is one amazing figure and still holds up well today. Then in 2008, Hasbro released a generic “red” ARC Trooper Commander in the Order 66 (Series 2) (1 of 6) TARGET exclusive set. And lastly (believe it or not), Captain Fordo was released in 2010’s TCW ARC Troopers Battle Packs set as a Filoni-inspired animated version. But The Vintage Collection version is without a doubt the best. What’s particularly amazing is that despite this being a realistic interpretation of Captain Fordo, he really looks more like an animated take on a realistic version of an animated version. (How is that for a paradox?) In other words, we think that there is something still “animated” about the look of this action figure. Perhaps this effect we’re experiencing with Captain Fordo is something Hasbro may be trying to capture in characters that originally appear in animated form. The realistic proportions and stylization are fantastic, but maybe now Hasbro wants to keep some of the animated spirit alive in these types of figures. It’s our assertion that this route is the right way to go and think it’s working out just fine. Anyway, whatever your preference is, animated or realistic, Captain Fordo should satisfy both types of collectors very well. It seems that this figure has been on Hasbro’s mind for quite some time and we have to say that if Hasbro from here on out definitely never makes another Tartakovsky-inspired action figure again, Captain Fordo is the perfect goodbye. This section of Expanded Universe just wouldn’t have been the same without him.

We’ll say it again. Captain Fordo is phenomenal. He’s a dream come true for Tartakovsky fans and it’s evident that Hasbro put a great deal of thought and consideration into this figure to cover as many bases as they could to bring all of the important traits of this character to collectors. Super-articulated with extra premium articulation (like ball-jointed wrists and hips), Captain Fordo will make clone trooper lovers extremely thrilled. Based on 2011’s TVC Clone Trooper (VC45) mold, a few updates have been made so that all of the included gear integrates with the rest of the figure without issues. Because it uses the standard Clone Trooper body mold, you’ll quickly remember that the ball-jointed shoulders are severely inhibited. We hope that this is something Hasbro works into future clones to fix this setback. Both helmets that Captain Fordo comes with are incredible. We have never seen better paint jobs on accessories like these before Fordo. All of the lines are clean, centered and there is no unevenness in the application of the color at all. What’s more, they have been cast from a sturdier plastic (i.e. less rubbery) yet still maintain a pliability so that each can fit over his noggin like a glove. Oh, and that portrait? It’s absolutely the coolest looking clone likeness we have ever seen. He has very distinguishing head and facial details like his ultimately cool “faux-hawk” and the discreet “soul patch” on his chin. And his accessories are quite impressive. Hasbro has brought a new technology into the basic figure line of which Captain Fordo is lucky number one to get. He comes with a complete soft-goods kama with a real elastic that hugs his waist when dressed. And then the double holster, blasters, and shoulder pauldron complete his phase I look. He looks stunning despite not having the correct paint job (since the paint job is specific to the phase II iteration). The phase II look of Fordo is of course the absolute best. Take off the phase I helmet (the ARC Trooper helmet), the holster, the kama, and the pauldron and instead put the phase II helmet, the holster/pauldron combination piece and you’ll have before you an action figure that should bring tears to your eyes and make you a very happy person.